I have just returned from a brief visit to Ireland, Scotland and England, where Mike Willing, Deputy Chief Executive Quality Assurance, and I visited the relevant agencies to review what is happening at the cutting edge of quality assurance.

We gained significant insight into current initiatives and it was reassuring to note that the challenges we face are similar.

It’s good to know that New Zealand is not the only country grappling with issues of quality assurance! Our Tertiary Reform initiatives in New Zealand provide us with the opportunity to assess where we are at and to help plan the evolution.

Registering quality assured qualifications is an important part of the quality assurance environment for all three countries we visited. Ireland and Scotland’s experience was a key input into the Bologna Agreement. The Bologna Agreement is a major initiative to harmonize the higher education systems of 45 European countries into a more transparent and mutually-recognised common framework.

This process includes establishing a European Qualifications Framework that is designed to facilitate and improve the international comparability and transparency of academic and professional qualifications.

We found that New Zealand is recognised as being at the forefront of qualification frameworks and registers with our National Qualifications Framework and Register of Quality Assured Qualifications. The challenge for us now is to use the Register to best effect!

With the first quarter of the New Year now well advanced, may I wish all readers an excellent 2007.

Dr Karen Poutasi
Chief Executive